Practical information for exchange students: Upon arrival in Leuven

After your arrival in Leuven, you should go to

• the Housing Service for accommodation
• your exchange programme contact person, or the exchange programme coordinator of the faculty where you will be studying during your stay
• the Registrar's Office (registration at K.U.Leuven)
• City Hall (registration with the local authorities)

Housing Service

Opening hours:
Mondays to Fridays from 2 to 5 p.m.
10 July to 10 September: Mondays to Fridays from 8.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 5.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Students should have no trouble finding Van Dale College, the university's reception house at Naamsestraat 80. The simplest route from the railway station to the college is to follow the Bondgenotenlaan to the City Hall ('Stadhuis') on Grote Markt, and then to take Naamsestraat from there. The distance is roughly 1.5 kilometres or 0.9 miles, for which the taxi fare should be about € 7.

Upon arrival in Leuven, the staff of the International Housing Service will assign you a guest room. Students who arrive before September 10 will be given a guest room in one of the university residences at a cost of approximately € 10 per night. After September 10, these residences are fully booked and you will be given a guest room outside of town, at the monastery of the Oblaten Fathers (also € 10 per night), approximately 4 kilometers from the city centre. There are regular bus services between the monastery and the city of Leuven. From September 11 to October 10, the reception office at the monastery is open daily, including weekends, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Once you have settled into your guest room, you should go back to the International Housing Service (Ms. Heidi Declercq, room 00.24) for assistance in finding permanent accommodation. Exchange students will not be housed in university residences. Those staying for the full academic year may consult our online database of private student rooms and apartments called KOTWIJS. Those staying for one semester only will be given a list of rooms to be sublet by Belgian students who have gone to study abroad for a semester. The list of exchange rooms for the first semester is available from the beginning of August onwards, for the second semester from the beginning of December. Rents for private rooms vary between € 180 and € 225 a month. Blankets, sheets and pillows are not provided. The International Housing Service will also provide you with information about insurance, municipal taxes and safety provisions. Moreover, you can apply to this service whenever you have problems with your rental contract or any other trouble concerning accommodation.

Arrival at your Faculty

The first person to see when arriving at your faculty is, of course, your contact person. Each faculty also has its own exchange programme coordinator, i.e. a staff member who coordinates all exchange activities within his faculty. You can rely on him/her for information about courses, timetables, student organisations, etc. When necessary, he/she will refer you to the appropriate service for students. He/she will also be able to give you the name and address of the student in charge of the exchange programmes within your faculty.

Registrar's Office (in Dutch: 'Studentenadministratie')

Universiteitshal, Naamsestraat 22, B-3000 Leuven
phone: 016/32 40 40
e-mail: sa@kuleuven.ac.be
Opening hours:
19 August to 27 September: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
30 September to 4 October: 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
7 October to 11 October: 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
From 14 October onwards: 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Although exchange students remain enrolled at their home university during their study period abroad, they still need to register as an exchange student at the host institution. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that after your arrival in Leuven you go to the Registrar's Office in order to get registered and receive your student card. This card is generally considered to be the proof that you have been recognised by the academic authorities as a K.U.Leuven student. You may need it when taking exams or when going to the library or to one of the university restaurants, so make sure that you always carry it with you.

In order to register as an exchange student, you have to submit :

• your passport or identity card;
• 1 passport photograph;
• a certificate from your home university, proving that you have been enrolled as a regular (i.e. fee-paying) student there;
• your permission to register as an exchange student at K.U.Leuven (supplied via your contact person by the International Relations Office before your departure);
• for non-EU students: € 15 to subscribe to a third-party liability insurance policy;
• a copy of your housing contract (if you already have a permanent address in Leuven).

Apart from your student card, you will be given a proof of registration, which you will need when registering at the City Hall.

City Hall: registering with the local authorities

Muntstraat 3, B-3000 Leuven
phone: 016/21 17 13
Opening hours:
Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Thursdays from 12 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Within 8 working days after your arrival, you are expected to register at the so-called Aliens' Registration Office (in Dutch: Dienst Buitenlanders), in the City Hall. However, in practice, Leuven's Aliens' Registration Office requires you to have a permanent address before going to the City Hall.

As an EU student you will be asked to show:

• your identity card or passport;
• a certificate of your Erasmus grant or a proof of solvency (can be obtained at the Aliens' Registration Office) if you do not receive a grant;
• 3 passport photographs;
• a proof of registration at K.U.Leuven.
• a proof of health insurance

As a non-EU student you should supply:

• your identity card or passport, with visa or temporary residence permit (Authorisation for provisional sojourn) if required;
• a proof of registration at K.U.Leuven
• 3 passport photographs

Students from Switzerland whose stay exceeds three months must apply for a temporary residence permit (Authorisation for provisional sojourn) upon arrival in Belgium, if they have not done so at the Belgian embassy in Switzerland. They must submit the following documents:

• a valid passport
• proof of registration at K.U.Leuven
• a proof of solvency
• a certificate of good conduct from the police department
• a medical certificate
• 3 passport photographs

After you have reported to the Aliens' Registration Office you will receive a residence permit for the length of your stay in Belgium. Students staying in Leuven for less than three months will receive a Declaration of Arrival (in Dutch: Aankomstverklaring), which will cost you € 5. Students staying in Leuven for less than one academic year and more than three months, will receive a Certificate of Registration (in Dutch: Attest van Immatriculatie) at a cost of € 5. Students enrolled for a full academic year, will get a white card which is literally called Certificate of Inscription in the Aliens' Register (in Dutch: Bewijs van Inschrijving in het Vreemdelingenregister). The fee for this card is € 12.50. Every change of address must be reported immediately to the City Hall, as well as to the Registrar's Office of the university. At the end of your stay in Leuven, you should notify the Aliens' Registration Office that you are leaving.

More practical information for exchange students